Burned Kerrville boy improving, family receives outpouring of support

A 10-year-old Kerrville boy whose family says was intentionally set on fire remains in the hospital but is slowly improving. Kayden Culp is no longer in a medically induced coma.

Author:
Sharon Ko

Published:
8:30 AM CDT October 14, 2016

SAN ANTONIO -- A 10-year-old Kerrville boy whose family says was intentionally set on fire remains in the hospital but is slowly improving.

Kayden Culp is no longer in a medically induced coma. His family says that he's awake and breathing on his own without the use of a breathing tube. Tanya Kasper, Kayden's aunt, said that the outpouring of support from people across the country is helping in his recovery.

Kasper said that the family has received numerous online messages, letters and gifts.

"It was just like wow! The generosity of giving your own to give to somebody else and it's coming from kids! I mean, we have someone that goes and gets them from Kerrville and makes sure he gets to see them. It's very awesome," Kasper said.

Kasper said 'I'm Bully Free,' a non-profit organization, has reached out to Kayden's family to help.

"They're going to be family to him. They're going to empower him, get him ready, because Kayden has a long journey. He's going to have scars. He's going to be set back a little bit," Kasper said.

Kayden was airlifted to a hospital last Sunday with first- and second-degree burns. His family said one boy doused him with gasoline and that another set him on fire off Wallace Street. But the Kerrville Fire Marshal's office says that the boys were playing with fire when Kayden got caught in the flames.

The Kerrville Fire Marshal's Office has arrested two juveniles in connection to the case. One child was charged with first-degree arson and the second child was charged with second-degree arson.

Kayden's family is now waiting for Kayden to share more of his side. He's unable to fully speak yet but Kasper said that, at the hospital, his grandmother heard him whisper that "the boys burned him."

"She said it was very clear. Very clear. So of course she felt emotion. Who wants to hear their grandson wake up and say that?" Kasper said. "We are going to fight and start a petition now that Kayden is more successful where he's at. It's looking more promising. We're going to be able to sit down as a family and decide, how do we start this."